The Misadventures of Rocket and Groot
by GreenEggsAndGraham
Summary: Rocket raccoon and Groots misadventures as they help each other grow. This is a story of how they met and how they grew into the beings they are now. Rocket is a kid. Slightly AU.
1. Communing with Nature

He used to just want someone to love him, it wasn't too much to ask for really. He didn't think so anyway. But the constant taunting and loneliness of Rockets youth cause him to have a hole in his tiny heart that made him think sometimes that maybe he didn't have a heart at all. He knew he did though, he could feel it. He knew he had a heart because with every taunt and every punch he could feel that hole getting a little bit bigger, and the pain he grew up feeling in his heart hurt more than any of scraps he got into. It hurt more than all the cuts and all the bruises he'd endured. Hell, it hurt more than the body mutilation his creators had cause him. Not even they wanted to keep him after they were done with him.

Rocket finally realized that maybe nobody would ever want him around, and he grew to ignore the dull ache in his chest and started to resent everyone in return. He stopped trying to be nice to people, and that made it easier when they inevitably rejected him. He started to cause fights instead of just defending himself against them, and he got good at it. Rocket realized that he'd need to learn how to make weapons if he was going to survive, so that's exactly what he did and he used them to his advantage. Despite his small size, even as a child, he could defend himself against most. It was when he failed at protecting himself that trouble began.

On a particularly hot and dry day Rocket was having trouble concentrating because of his dehydration. He began scavenging the town, going from dumpster to dumpster looking for something to drink. He could usually find half empty water bottles or puddles from the rain, but the sun dried everything up before he could get at it. He didn't have a choice but to drink from the fountain in the middle of town, though he did think that was disgusting. He hated going there. It was a high risk environment and Rocket hadn't gotten any materials to make any weapons to protect himself. He'd have to rely on his stealth and agility, but although he got more skilled each day, he was still just a kid and could only do so much without weaponry, barely being half a foot tall.

He made it to the fountain without drawing much attention, and carefully looked around before drinking to see if anyone was watching him. It seemed safe, there was only a small group of kids nearby and they weren't paying him any mind. He cupped his small paws together and dunked them into the fountain, watching the water slowly pool into his hands and bringing them to his lips.

"Ew! That's disgusting! What do you think you're doing you rodent!? That is not for drinking! Get out of here you freak!" Rocket raised his ears and looked back at the small group of kids, counting four of them as he let the water leak through his fingers, and standing up to his full height getting ready to defend himself against them. They were advancing towards him now, lead by some sort of pink girl with an upturned nose and clenched fists. She continued "I said to get out of here! You overgrown rat, you shouldn't even be here. My mom says you don't even count as alive! You're a freak and nobody wants you here. So just go."

"Listen girly, I'm not lookin' to fight you all, I'm just here for a drink. Nothin' wrong with that. Best leave me alone if you know what's good for you." Rocket said, trying to look threatening. But they just laughed at him as they started to surround him. Rocket wasn't surprised, not really. He had already learned how cruel other kids could get. He barred his teeth and clenched his fists, getting ready once again to go down fighting, unknowing of the onlooker. The small group of kids started towards him, and he looked up at them with ferocity despite his tininess. He knew he couldn't take them on without weapons, but he refused to run. He was tired of running and hiding in the streets. Tired of all of it. He let them grab him and he let them hit him and pull out patches of his fur while they tried to rip out his wiring. All the while telling him how wrong he was, how disgusting and unnatural and abominable he was. He refused to yell out in pain, so he scrunched up his face to hold it in as he let them try to tear him apart.

Rocket was about to pass out from all the pain but still he refused to scream. But then all the pain stopped. He didn't feel hands holding him down or the pain of his fur being ripped out. He just felt cold as he fell back into the fountain, sinking down, too weak to swim. He was grateful for the water, and he was grateful for the pain being stopped, although he didn't understand why it did. He embraced the cool and he embraced what he thought would be his end. He didn't have that long of a life span anyway. But then he was being grabbed again, gently, but he still braced for pain as he was lifted up and out of the water. But the pain didn't come.

Rocket opened his eyes and saw the group of bullies wrapped in some sort of plant, unable to move. He looked down and realized the same stuff was holding him, although he wasn't trapped like his attackers, so he could move if he wanted. He followed the the branches until he saw exactly what it was that was holding him. Some tree-man was starring down at him from what seemed like a huge height. Rocket realized what must have happened, he realized that he had been saved, and he was filled with hatred and disappointment in himself.

"What d'you think you're doing you twig, I had it!" Rocket screamed at him, trying to stand and falling off the creatures make-shift holder. Bracing to hit the ground, just to be caught by the stupid tree again. "Let me go! I'm fine! Let me go!" He continued to scream, finally being dropped on the ground, but only by a foot, by the giant plant. Rocket stared in anger at the creature as it turned to the kids to growl in their faces "I AM GROOT!" and leting them run away. Groot turned back to the small and courageous thing he found and smiled.

"What the hell are you smiling about? What you go and do that for? I was fine!" Rocket yelled and turned his back on the tree, walking toward the fountain. Groot didn't want to let him go in his state. He thought the little furry thing he found was too wounded. He followed, he was needed and he would follow. "No, no-no! What d'you thing you're doing? Stay here! Don't need a bloody tree following me around, I can take care of myself." Rocket stated, stubbornness etched onto his features as he stared the tree down. "What d'you think you're doing?" He asked.

The tree bent down and extended a branch, which was actually a tree arm... With a tree hand. "I am Groot." The tree said softly, kindness emanating from him. Rocket stared at him, dumbfounded at the tree, not understanding why it was still there. He'd never seen a thing like it before.

"I don't bloody care if you're a Groot or not, you shouldn't have have stopped those dumb kids, I had it!" He yelled, only to receive another "I am Groot." He was surprised to find that he could understand the thing. "What the hell d'you bloody mean it didn't look like I had it? That just rude. You don't know nothin', get out of here. Stupid plant." Rocket turned on the thing again, heading back toward the fountain to finally get a drink. Hopping up onto the platform, Rocket realized just how sore he was, but as ever, he ignored the pain and dunked his head into the water as he finally quenched his thirst. A part of him knew he would be safe drinking like that with the stupid tree around, but he tried to ignore that fact. He didn't need anybody. He didn't need the tree there. His bitterness slowly wore off as he drank and he realized it might be useful to have the stupid thing around for situations like today.

When Rocket was finally done drinking the fountain water, we turned around, wiped his mouth and burped. "So, you wanna follow me around do ya? Well that's fine but you gotta know what's what. I'm the boss got it? You can be the extra muscle if you want, but you're not needed. I'm just throwin' you a bone here, got it? You can stay if you do what I tell you." He stared the tree down as it nodded "I am Groot." Rocket thought it would be a pretty good set-up. Getting the tree to find parts needed for weapons, or food when he was making things. A good set up indeed. Groot was obviously easily manipulated. "Right then you big log-"

"I am GROOT!" The tree interrupted. Groot had plans to help his new friend, and he wouldn't let it's rudeness get in the way of his healing.

"Alright, Groot, fine, fine. You call me Rocket. I was saying, I live this way, are you comin' or not?" The small animal asked his new companion. He received a nod and ordered the thing to follow him. Rocket led the tree through his usual back alleys, avoiding the ones he knew were high-risk zones, and finally getting to his usual back alley. It was dirty and full of scrap metal and garbage, and the only protection that could be seen was a ratty cardboard box. Groot watched in silence as rocket made himself at home, rummaging through the garbage as he looked for something to eat. Groot felp a pang of empathy, and knew he made the right choice in following Rocket.

"Alright, you need food or somethin'" Rocket offered, he needed his new side-kick to be in tip-top shape. He recieved a shake of a head and an "I am Groot." "You get energy from the sun? Well how d'you expect to do that, it's staring to rain, you big dummy." Groot gave him a shrug. "Well suit yourself, but I'm only offering once." Rocket said, as he made his way to the box to avoid the rain. Rocket lay down in a bed of news papers and wrapped himself in his tail to keep warm. He'd had worse days, he thought, as the sky darkened with the night, allowing him to sleep.

* * *

BANG!

Rocket awoke with a start, expecting a fight. He panicked in the darkness before he realized it was just storming. "Ah, bloody hell." He said, as he pushed the ruined cardboard off of himself, frustrated as the soggy cardboard covering him. He had no choice but to sit in the rain, waiting for the storm to end before he'd get dry again. He walked over to where Groot was sleeping and sat beside the giant, muttering about the rain and his cardboard box. He was so absorbed in wallowing about the rain that he didn't notice at first when is was no longer hitting him.

He looked up to see that Groot had stretched and expanded his arm to make a small tree umbrella, protecting Rocket from the continuing storm. Rocket was surprised at first, that the tree would even bother, he'd only ever been mean to the thing and only just met him that day. He was mostly uncomfortable, but slightly grateful with the tree, and he wasn't sure what to do. He looked at Groots face, and he could tell that Groot was pretending to sleep, but Groot couldn't help but peek at the fuzy creature to make sure it was okay every so often.

After a few seconds of Rockets uncomfortable silence, he said "Uh, thanks. You don't have to do that y'know." Rocket said to the tree, getting the exact response he had expected.

"I am Groot." The tree-man said softly, kindly, with empathy in his eyes. Conveying that he was there to help Rocket, even with the rain.

"Right, you are Groot." Rocket said, looking up at the tree who was doing a terrible job at hiding his smile. Rocket had never felt protected from anything before, not even from something as simple as the rain. Although he wasn't quite sure what to do with the gesture, he was appreciative still. "What about you, though? You're still exposed." Rocket mumbled awkwardly. With three words Groot explained that he needs the rain, so there was no problem. "Well thanks, Mate." Rocket said.

He pondered on that for a while, after he realized he had called the tree a friend. He'd never really thought he'd find anyone who would be willing to put up with him, he had given up on that fantasy a long time ago. But here was Groot, caring for him with small gestures, sitting with him in the rain, and protecting him from strangers for what seemed like no reason at all. Rocket was cautious, remembering everyone who turned on him before, but willing to at least try to make a friend out out this creature who had found him. This creature who had saved him. For the first time in Rockets life, he felt safe in his little alleyway full of garbage. He felt safe with Groot.


	2. Free of Charge

**Authors note:** I'm definitely going to continue with this. :) Hope you all like it. As ever, constructive criticism is both welcome and appreciated.

Rocket woke to Groot tidying up his alley-way, putting things into neat piles, or throwing them behind his back and over the buildings, ending up God knows where. In a panic, he jumped up to stop the giant, pulling Groots hand as he tried to throw another item.

"What are you doing? Stop, stop! This stuff is useful!" He yelled, only to be ignored as Groot shook his head and tossed a piece of scrap metal over the roofs behind him. "Hey! I needed that! I was saving it to make a stun gun! And I needed that to make a grappling hook!" Rocket continued to complain as Groot continued his 'organizing'. "This is what I get for sleeping in." Rocket muttered as he tried in vain to protect his most valued garbage.

Groot, however, was simply getting rid of the things he knew Rocket would no longer need. Rocket didn't need a grappling hook when Groot could just lift him up, and Groot did not appreciate the violence of the stun gun, except for when one was needed. He continued with his work, all the while ignoring his new companions protests. Eventually, with an exasperated sigh and a cuss, Rocket gave up and plopped himself on the ground to watch as his belongings were thrown out by a tree, cross legged with his elbows on his knees.

"Are you done yet?" Rocket asked bitterly a few minutes later, wishing he could have stopped his new acquaintance.

"I am Groot." The tree nodded, smiling proudly at his friend.

"Great, well now that you threw out half of my materials, I have no way of making any weapons to protect myself. Good going." He said sarcastically. "I can't believe you thew out _all_ of my batteries. I _needed_ those." Rocket rolled his eyes and he tried to think of what to do now, furious with Groot.

Groot watched as his friend paced the small alley, wondering why he was so mad all the time.

"Well, I'm starving, and now I have to go find something to eat, because apparently you thought it would be a good idea to throw my food out too." Rocket said, writing down a list of materials that he knew for sure he'd need.

Groot didn't see any food when he was cleaning. He saw almost empty chip bags and apple cores, but that wasn't food, it was garbage. He thought Rocket deserved better than garbage, so it made sense to throw it out.

"Alright you big buffoon, I know a place we can get more food, and the parts I need to make a stun gun." Rocket said, starting to walk off, gesturing for the tree to follow him.

"I am Groot?" He asked, wondering where Rocket could possibly be talking about.

"To the dump, of course. It's got almost any spare parts you can think of, if you know what to look for, and people are always throwing away perfectly fine food." Rocket said smartly, like it was the most obvious thing in the world. Groot didn't like the idea of eating garbage, but knew that their lack of money made it impossible for them to buy anything fresh. He followed Rocket, knowing he could be helpful in looking for the right parts. He was quite tech-savvy, especially for a tree. More intelligent than most humanoids, actually.

They made their way towards the dump, not having to worry about not being seen. Knowing they would be protected by each other. They took the quickest path through the middle of town, and nobody was stupid enough to try to start a fight, not with Groot around.

"Havin' you around ain't too shabby. Even if you do throw out things that I need. Best not do that in the future." Rocket said slyly, making fun of his companion. Groot rolled his eyes and shook his head, noticing a bakery cart that was left unattended.

"So," Rocket continued. "When we get to the dump, we're looking for all of these." He said, letting Groot quickly look at a list Rocket had made earlier, of things they would need. "Now, when we get there, there's going to be guards at the front gate, so we can't get in that way. There's a hole in the fence at the back that you can probably squeeze through, or you can just walk over the thing if that suits your fancy. These first seven items should be easy to find, but it's very rare to find an elector-shock charger that's still got some juice, so we might have to do quite a lot of rummaging. I've only ever found one once, but even half empty they can last a long time, which is why we need one." He explained, continuing to lead Groot towards their destination. He realized though, that Groot wasn't walking behind him anymore, and that he was several feet behind him, quickly catching up. He hadn't realized Groot had stopped while he was rambling.

"Oh bloody hell, now you missed my explanation and I'll have to go over it all again. What were you doing?" Rocket asked in frustration.

Shock took over his features as Groot handed him two cinnamon rolls and an apple. "Groot, did you steal this stuff?" He asked, ignoring the strange sense of gratitude he developed.

Groot shrugged and shook his head, pointing at the unattended cart. "I am Groot!" He explained.

"It doesn't matter if nobody was watching it, it's still stealing." Rocket laughed, and Groot shook his head again, he didn't think it was. He looked back when he heard yelling.

"Hey! What do you two think you're doing!? Did you just take those from here?" A man shouted from nearby, pointed at his food cart.

"Uh-oh, c'mon Groot! Let's get out of here!" Rocket said, having trouble running away from the accuser with his arms full of food.

"Get back here! I'm calling the police!" The man continued, pulling a phone out of his pocket.

Rocket ran about ten feet before being lifted up off of the ground and placed onto Groots back.

"Thanks, mate, now get a move on, we gotta go!" Rocket commanded, ignoring the humiliation of having man tree-man handled. It was a lot easier for him to carry his food up here anyway. "The dump is that way, just run!" He ordered, as he fumbled with his newly acquired food.

It was hard to hold the food and hold on to a running tree, so Rocket stuck the cinnamon rolls onto a couple of Groots poking out shoulder branches while he ate the apple with one hand, holding on to Groots head as he quickly ran from the man who was now angrily explaining to the police that 'a walking tree with a talking raccoon stole his cinnamon buns.' Rocket knew the police wouldn't believe him, so he laughed as Groot ran into the streets towards the dump, slowing to a walk in the protection the buildings provided.

"I can't believe you stole food- I can't believe you stole food for me!" Rocket laughed as he finished off his apple and started on one of the cinnamon buns. "These are great! Want some?" Rocket offered, extending the other cinnamon bun to Groot, who just waved it off and shook his head.

"I am Groot." He reminded Rocket.

"Right, the tree thing. How does that work anyway? I mean I get that you can absorb energy from the sun, but shouldn't you have to eat too? You're not _just_ a tree." He asked Groot, who simply sprouted a leaf on his forearm and began to eat that instead. "Oh, um... Lovely." Rocket said, slightly grossed out by his new companion. "Suit yourself then." He shrugged, finishing the first cinnamon bun and starting on the second. "And um... Thanks." Rocket felt unsure, thanking someone for giving him food, riding on his shoulder. He never thought he'd see the day, and he would try to appreciate the company while it lasted. He knew though, that it wouldn't last, and he couldn't help but cover up that pain with bitterness.

"Alright, I can walk on my own from here." Rocket said, quickly climbing down and wiping his paws on his pants. "The hole in the fence is right over here." He gestured as they approached the dump. They easily avoided being seen by the guards, and quickly made it through the fence. Or over it, in Groots case.

As Rocket had predicted, they easily found almost every part he needed to make a stun gun. But the main component, the elector-shock charger, was nowhere to be found. They were also missing a couple compression coils. Much to rockets surprise, Groot sat on the ground next to an enormous pile of scrap metal, dismembered a microwave and an old computer, and made his own version of compression coils that would work even better with Rockets gun design. "You're a bloody genius Groot! Why didn't you say you understood quasi-dimensional super-positional engineering? That's fantastic!" He stated with enthusiasm.

"I am groot." Explained the tree.

"What do you mean it wasn't relevant until now? You seemed like a bloody idiot throwing away all my scrap this morning! You could have brought it up then and explained that you were just getting rid of the excess parts." Rocket scolded, too amazed to be completely serious about it. "Can you make an elector-shock charger?" Rocket asked excitedly, only to receive a shake of the head from Groot. "Bollocks. Well, I'll start putting this together, you want to keep looking for one?" Rocket asked, getting right to work.

Groot stood up and walked over to a different pile of tech pieces and started sorting. He sorted through pile after pile of disregarded parts, and still found nothing. He didn't even find any components to make the charger. He sorted for hours, every so often looking back at Rocket who was busy starting to put the stun-gun together. Rocket looked up at Groot every so often too. Just to make sure he hadn't given up looking, of course.

Eventually the stun gun was as put together as it could get without the charger, and Groot had sorted thought every pile of scrap metal and tech. Groot made his way back over to where Rocket was waiting, gun in hand. "You find a charger?" He asked, and got a shake 'no' in return. "Well, did you find anything to make a charger?"

"I am Groot." Groot sighed, disappointed that he didn't find anything useful after so much searching.

Rocket sighed in frustration. "An elector-shock charger costs 1000 units! I don't have a way to get that kind of money!" He complained, furious at himself and at the world. "Let's just go then, we'll try again next week with the new load they'll drop off. We'll get here before they sort it, so we don't have to go through everything again." Rocket began planning out their next visit.

Groot looked down in disappointment, but then shook his head and smiled at what he saw down there on the ground beneath him. He bent down and pulled a piece of paper out from under his foot, smiling again as he handed it to rocket.

"What's this rubbish?" Rocket questioned as Groot handed him the paper before he began to read it. "Well, look at that. What are the chances?" Rocket enthused, looking at the paper which was a warning of an escaped convict who had a bounty of 1000 units. All they'd have to do is turn in a man called James Montgomery Gumb. Rocket realized excitedly that he had even seen the man walking around a couple of times. "I know who this is Groot! I see him in the back alleys. It'll be easy to track him, I know his scent. He's pretty tough though, so we'll need to make me something else to fight with." Rocket said, getting excited at how things were turning out.

Groot nodded, and starting handing Rocket pieces that he knew were useful. They sat down together, in the middle of a dump, and started to make small weapons that would be easy for Rocket to carry. They sat there all day, and deep into the evening building tiny weapons. When they were done, Rocket had two small nail grenades that would do minimal damage, a weapon of Groots invention that tied the enemies feet together when thrown, and two very small punch-guns that only had one bullet each that only bruised the enemy badly, and a holder for everything, including the incomplete stun-gun.

They worked together in creating each of the pieces, helping each other make the best weapons they could with what little material they had They spent all day working and laughing with, and at each other. Rocket was amazed at Groots genius, and knew that Groot was equally amazed with his.

When they were ready to leave, Groot attached all the weapons to the carrier they had made, and handed it to Rocket, who slung it across his back. Groot stood up and started walking towards the hole in the fence, and felt Rocket climb up his legs and back, to sit on Groots shoulder. Groot slightly altered his shoulder to accommodate for Rocket, making his small friend more comfortable. They left the dump and started towards their alley, which was nothing close to a home, but with each of them in it, they both felt a little less lonely. Rocket quickly fell asleep on the way.


End file.
